LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- British authorities and environmental groups were welcoming the launch this week of the world 's first biodegradable chewing gum , which they say could help save some of the millions spent on clearing up the mess ordinary gum creates .

Manufacturers say the gum decomposes within six weeks .

The new gum becomes non-adhesive when dry and decomposes to dust within six weeks , a spokesman for Mexico 's Chicza Mayan Rainforest Chewing Gum told CNN .

The makers of Chicza say it is the first biodegradable chewing gum ever sold . Environmental and waste management groups told CNN that they , too , believe it is a first .

Unlike other gums that contain petrochemicals the natural gum is produced from the sap of the chicozapote tree found in the Mexican rainforest , a spokesman for Chicza told CNN .

A spokesman for campaign group Keep Britain Tidy told CNN they welcome any product that can help eradicate the staining on pavements caused by dropped chewing gum .

Removing chewing gum litter costs local authorities # 150 million -LRB- $ 222 million -RRB- a year , a spokesman for the Local Government Association told CNN .

Sixty-five percent of British streets have chewing gum stuck on them , a spokesman from Keep Britain Tidy told CNN .

One of the worst-affected areas is Westminster in central London , where a comprehensive gum clean-up would cost # 9 million -LRB- $ 13.4 million -RRB- , according to Westminster City Council .

`` Gum litter is a constant problem for us , especially given the vast number of visitors to Westminster every day . We spend # 100,000 -LRB- $ 148,000 -RRB- a year cleaning ugly blobs of conventional chewing gum off our streets , '' Westminster City Councilor Danny Chalkley said in a written statement .

`` It 's an incredibly expensive and time-consuming task , so anything that could reduce the problem is very welcome indeed . '' he said .

British parliamentarians have called on the government to introduce a tax on chewing gum , with the money raised going toward the cost of gum removal .

In Britain , offenders can be fined up to # 80 -LRB- $ 119 -RRB- for discarding used chewing gum on a street .

The producer of the new gum is Consorcio Chiclero , which comprises 46 cooperatives with around 2,000 chicleros farmers , working in an area of 1.3 million hectares of rainforest , according to a statement from Chicza .

Locals have been extracting the natural chicle gum base from the bark of the chicozapote trees for a century , a spokesman for Chicza told CNN .

After years of exporting the gum base to be used as an ingredient in the manufacture of regular chewing gum , the cooperative recently decided to start making its own gum using only chicle gum base and natural flavorings and sweeteners , Chicza said .

The company launched its gum in Britain this week . It is available at a chain of supermarkets and Mexican restaurants .

The Chicza gum sells for # 1.39 -LRB- $ 2.06 -RRB- for a pack of 12 squares .

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Authorities , green groups welcome launch of world 's first biodegradable gum

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Chewing gum costs millions to remove from city sidewalks

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Manufacturers say new Mexican product decomposes in six weeks